Henry County pursuit ends in Wayne County with 2 arrests

An early morning pursuit that started in Henry County ended in Wayne County with the arrest of two Huntington men.

Around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, May 16, Indiana State Trooper J.T. Burns was on patrol in Henry County when he overheard radio traffic of an Eaton (Indiana) Police Department unit attempting to pull over a fleeing car in Delaware County, a maroon Chevrolet, last seeing the vehicle as it fled southbound on U.S. 35, according to an ISP release.

Burns and other units moved north toward the Delaware County line when, around 12:40 a.m. in the area of U.S. 35 and CR 675 E., a vehicle matching the description passed Burns and Troopers Ratliff and Garcia southbound on U.S. 35 at 80 miles per hour. Burns got behind the vehicle and activated his lights, but the vehicle refused to stop, the release said.

The vehicle continued southbound into Wayne County, the release said, where it went south on Indiana 1 to Interstate 70 eastbound at a high rate of speed.

Traffic was light through the area, so Troopers Burns, Ratliff and Garcia continued after them. Around the Centerville Road exit, Wayne County units set up stop sticks, a tire deflation device, and the maroon Chevrolet hit them, deflating the left side tires.

The vehicle exited I-70 onto Williamsburg Pike southbound into Richmond at a low speed due to having flattened left side tires.

After turning east onto U.S. 40 in Richmond, they continued east until crashing into a light pole at North 19th and East Main.

ISP, Richmond and other Wayne County Units surrounded the car and troopers took the driver, Norman Stanley, 34, of Huntington and his passenger Benjamin Veach, 20, also of Huntington, into custody.

Further investigation by the Troopers found the men in possession of suspected methamphetamine, a narcotic pill, drug paraphernalia and hypodermic syringes, the news release said. Stanley, the driver, was found to be a Habitual Traffic Violator with his license suspended for life, and was also wanted on multiple count felony warrants for drug and driving violations out of Huntington and Grant counties.

After being checked out at Reid Health, Stanley was charged with Level 5 felony dealing methamphetamine, and Level 6 felony charges of resisting law enforcement, operating as a habitual traffic violator, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hypodermic syringe, and possession of a Legend Drug as well as the two multiple count felony warrants, the release said.